


Sad Little Pair

by derireo



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Kissing, Loneliness, Marriage Proposal, Reunions, Sharing a Bed, Strangers, friends to strangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28567659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derireo/pseuds/derireo
Summary: Izumi sees Itaru as a friend, but after Tonooka, Itaru isn't sure if he sees himself sticking around for much longer.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Tachibana Izumi
Comments: 18
Kudos: 52





	1. The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> i had this wip hanging around for months and only just found the inspo to finish it. gained more inspo to even make it multi chaptered lol

"Hey." Izumi gently pokes Itaru's arm with the button of her pen to catch his wandering attention. It's currently study hall, but Izumi can't focus, and her friend doesn't seem too keen on doing work either.

Her prodding at his arm makes Itaru look up from the intricate wood patterns on his desk. His overgrown fringe falls over his eyes, but he can still see Izumi.

He rests his cheek in his palm, gaze staring at her through his fingerprint stained glasses. "What."

His tone is uncaring, but Izumi knows he's just bad at his delivery. She quietly gets up from her chair to stand beside Itaru's desk, and she crouches, hands gripping the edge of his table.

Her eyes are sparkling, albeit dimly. It looks like she has an idea in mind.

"Let's dip." She murmurs with a little upwards tilt to the corner of her mouth. "I wanna go home."

Itaru lazily nods his head in agreement. "Same."

Izumi's light up just a bit more, and Itaru feels kind of happy although he was barely able to lift her mood.

"Let's go at lunch." Itaru suggests to which Izumi smiles.

“‘Kay.”

* * *

"Sometimes looking at you makes me feel sad." Izumi mumbles softly, sitting cross legged above Itaru's head as he lies on the floor with a handheld game console in his grip.

She says that sentence with a barely amused smile, but it only makes Itaru scoff half-heartedly. He takes a glance up at her towering figure as he feels her fingers brush back his messy fringe.

"Then stop looking at me." He shrugs.

His tone is indifferent, but Izumi knows that his response is lighthearted. She smiles a little more. Readjusts his glasses for him.

"But looking at you can also make me happy." She urges, just in case there was a little part of Itaru that was annoyed with her comment. Izumi's fingers help keep Itaru's hair away from his face as he plays his game. "I feel less lonely.”

Itaru looks at her again, clearer this time now that he paused his game to pay more attention to the conversation they're having. "Well. We're friends.”

He puts his handheld console on his chest, screen down. Folds his hands above his stomach as Izumi playfully flattens his fringe to cover his vision.

"Yeah." She says after a pause. "But sometimes I feel like you get tired of me. My presence can be a bit much. I know.”

Itaru scoffs. " _What_ presence? And if I was tired of you, I'd have left long ago." His voice tells Izumi that she’d gone and upset him.

"Where is this coming from, Tachibana?" Itaru asks her. His pink irises glimmer in the lowlight of the living room as he searches Izumi's face for any non-verbal cues. He doesn't find any

"I don't know." Izumi shrugs. She fixes his fringe and moves to shove her hands between her thighs to warm them. "The night makes me think.”

Her expression is slightly bashful, but it doesn't endear Itaru one bit. He crosses an arm beneath his head and gently reaches out to poke her cheek with his hand

"And it's still the afternoon. Stop thinking so hard.”

And, well... Yeah. Okay. She can probably do that.

Izumi turns her head to look out the window of her living room and smiles blankly. She nods in acknowledgement, looking back at Itaru with an eerily unfocused gaze.

"Yeah..." She trails off slowly.

It makes Itaru want to sigh.

Her mom never really liked showing her face when Izumi was around. And when they _did_ end up seeing each other at home, Izumi's mom wouldn't stay around long enough to hold a conversation.

She'd leave the room if Izumi entered, and sometimes she'd even leave the house if she found no reason to stay.

This started around the time when Izumi's father left, so really. Izumi was just stuck.

Stuck being alone.

Itaru understands why she's being like this right now, but it still makes him wonder: Doesn't she get tired of feeling this way?

"Looking at me now, how are you feeling?" Itaru asks quietly. He watches her movements through his overgrown fringe and he can tell that she's slowly beginning to smile again.

"...I'm happy." She murmurs.

"Less lonely?" He asks another question.

"A little." Izumi frowns. Her brown eyes meet Itaru's, and she reaches out to lightly pat her palm against his cheek. "You're lonely too."

Her gentle touch isn't enough to quell the annoyance that flares inside of Itaru when she points out his similar problem. He still tries to keep his ill-temper at bay, though. For the sake of Izumi.

He blinks his eyes twice, thrice. Gazes up at the ceiling with pursed lips and an indifferent hum.

"I don't think I am." He argues, voice quiet.

It makes Izumi smile again. It's very much like him to pretend and deny things about himself.

"You and I both know that we're hanging around each other more because _that_ guy is gone."

The mention of ' _that guy_ ' makes Itaru sip in a quick breath. His pink irises grow sharp as he looks at Izumi who was staring back; looking innocent as if she had done nothing wrong.

"Don't mention him." Itaru says lowly.

He didn't really care about the incident that had happened weeks ago anymore, but just remembering that he was friends with that type of person was something Itaru wanted to forget.

"If only he hadn't pulled that stunt, I'm sure you'd be with him instead of me right now." Izumi muses; observant as always.

And well, she's probably right. At this time of day, he'd usually be in the classroom with his 'friend', talking about Knights of the Round Table. Itaru only talks to Izumi after school, when he walks her home or when he stays over to study.

It's rare for him to be with Izumi for longer than three hours a day, actually. So it's funny. Funny how Itaru doesn't even know if he considers Izumi a friend.

A _real one_.

Does _she_ consider _him_ a friend?

Is she lying when she says he makes her feel less lonely or is it true?

And why does it feel like he's being selfish?

"Do you feel like I'm only using you as a substitute for his absence?" Itaru asks after a while of silence between the two students, and he frowns, vision briefly going out of focus due to Izumi going back to playing with his fringe.

He gives Izumi time to mull over her answer to his question, but Itaru's only given a shrug.

"I guess, but it doesn't bug me." She starts, pinching a few strands of his hair between her fingers. "I'm a nice replacement, don't you think?"

Her teasing smile is what barely makes Itaru chuckle, but the young boy goes back to his normal brooding.

"I'm sorry."

The apology makes the girl pause in her messing around with his hair and frowns down at him. She couldn’t see the hundreds of thoughts that ran through his head, but it felt like she still saw right through him. "...Why?"

"I didn't mean to cast you aside." He mutters quietly and scratches his cheek, eyes darting between his friend's face and the ceiling of her living room. "I left you alone for too long."

"It's okay. You two were always happy when talking about Kniroun." Izumi shrugs. She doesn't really understand why he's feeling bad.

She knows that Itaru feels more comfortable around Tonooka than he feels with her so how can she blame him?

Itaru doesn't want to think about Tonooka. "I should have kept you some more company, at least."

"It's okay. I'm fine with the quiet walks home."

"Izumi. I don't... Ugh, I—I don't want you to say that." Itaru grasps for straws at this point. "You need to be more vocal with your own thoughts, wants, and needs."

"Well... If anything. I just want us to stay friends. For a long time." Her wish is simple and barely satisfies Itaru's need to feel less guilty, but he doesn't argue.

He gathers the courage to look at Izumi again and feels himself falter when he notices her smile.

"Do you think we can manage that?" She asks him, innocent.

And don't get mad at him, but the question almost had Itaru laughing at the absurdity.

People don't stay friends after high school.

People in high school aren't _worth_ keeping as friends.

Itaru doesn't want to make a promise he can't keep.

"I don't know." He says honestly, lightly brushing away Izumi's hands from his face. "Seems a little difficult."

"Since our interests don't really align, right?" She says what Itaru had been thinking and the blond frowns.

Izumi smiles kindly, not at all upset. Of course, she knew. Itaru, busy with his games, busy with his studies, busy with anything else that didn’t pique Izumi’s interest. He sees her the same way; busy with acting, busy with working, busy with self-loathing.

None of that interested Itaru just as much as Izumi to him.

Funny, that, although they were completely different, they were also quite similar.

Lonely. Closed off. Acting like someone they’re not.

“I’m surprised we’re still friends.” Izumi muses, brown eyes staring straight through Itaru as his eyes looked up at her ceiling.

“We tolerate each other, if anything.” He says, avoids returning Izumi’s stare. His throat bobs, and suddenly there’s a vine of guilt climbing up his spine and wrapping around his neck.

He’s making it sound like he doesn’t consider her a friend; disregarding everything he said earlier in their conversation.

But, after Tonooka...he isn’t sure if he even wants one anymore.

There’s still a lot more he can lose if Izumi turns on him too.

Their silence stretches on for what feels like hours after Itaru’s last statement, Izumi’s eyes unblinking and void of any emotion. She isn’t sure if he’s pushing her away, having experienced much harsher treatment from her mother, but she prepares her heart for the icy hurt that would soon come.

Itaru’s uncomfortable by her stare. Almost like she’s staring at the floor and not him.

Almost like she’s choosing not to see him.

“How am I making you feel now?” He asks, quiet, as to not startle her.

Her unfocused eyes revert themselves at the question, and thankfully, he’s in her sights again. Itaru lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and runs a hand through his hair.

“Um.” She starts, wringing her hands in her lap. Her lips are red with how much she’s been biting them, and she looks almost conflicted. Like she didn’t want to tell him the truth.

Itaru reaches out, tenderly brushing his fingers against her cheek. “You can tell the truth.”

She barely registers his touch; something that doesn’t happen often. Izumi loves it when he initiates physical affection, but it seems that she doesn’t even notice this time around.

“Lonely.” She says, softly. “You want to leave.”

Itaru flinches at the sudden warmth of her tears dripping onto his fingers, and his breath catches when he sees that she still isn’t blinking.

Her face doesn’t move a muscle although there are tears leaking from her eyes and Itaru has to drop his hand from her face so that they would stop sliding down his arm.

Her voice is oddly calm, void of the sadness that her eyes show and Itaru sits up with an anxious feeling digging into his stomach.

“I didn’t say that.” He croaks. There’s a fire crawling up his throat that makes him struggle to speak, the burn making him stumble over his words as he reaches for Izumi’s shoulders to pull her limp body into his chest.

“I just—I-I...I don’t know if I can promise that I’ll stay.” He says truthfully, but still winces at the words that brought no comfort.

“It’s okay.” She speaks into Itaru’s shoulder, his arms wrapping around her.

Her nose stings and brings a fresh wave of tears to pool in her eyes. She laughs it off though, albeit weakly, and lets her face twist into a pained expression when she knows Itaru isn’t looking at her.

“It was fun being your friend.” She whispers, lifting a heavy hand to comfort Itaru by patting his back.

As they say. Nothing lasts forever.


	2. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fate is a funny thing don’t you think? It hits you when you least expect it, and it always gives you the chance to accept it or run away.

Itaru and Izumi had pretended that nothing had happened after that day. Not a single peep of what had transpired that afternoon made it past their lips, and they decided that it was better that way.

Izumi forcefully shoved away the memory of Itaru's hug that brought her comfort while Itaru locked away the memory of her tired body leaning against him for support.

She chose not to remember the apologetic face he wore when he left her house that day and he refused to remember the way she had hid her face from him when he left.

Except that, Itaru actually couldn't forget the image of her still kneeling on the ground even as he stood up from the floor. The way she held a hand to her face to save what little pride she had left and still said 'goodbye' when he stepped out of her house.

Itaru couldn't forget anything, but it looked like Izumi could.

"Are you excited for graduation?" She whispered softly, months later, as they laid on the floor in her lounge room. 

That afternoon was far behind them, and Izumi was looking forward to what the future had in store for her. She continued to pretend that Itaru wasn't planning on disappearing off the face of the earth as they neared the last day of high school, to the point that she believed he was gonna stick around just a little longer.

Itaru mulled over his answer to Izumi's question as he stared at the ceiling, his hands folded atop his stomach while Izumi had her arms folded beneath her head.

"I'm in between." He said, turning his head to look at Izumi who was smiling. "What about you?"

"I'm excited." She responded, but didn't return Itaru's gaze. "We're finally free."

Her expression was soft and held a tinge of warmth and happiness. Truly, she seemed to be excited, but for some reason Itaru felt his heart clench with sadness.

He looked back up at the ceiling, having nothing else to say, and pretended he wasn't disappointed when Izumi still didn't spare him a glance.

It wasn't until their last day had come up when Itaru felt his heart clench again. Their ceremony had finished a little while ago and his family were keeping him busy with all of the photos they were taking.

He had wanted to find Izumi after everyone descended the stairs to leave the auditorium, but lost sight of her. She should have passed him since her last name was further below on the list, but he missed her and the opportunity to celebrate with his family.

Izumi's mom hadn't come to the ceremony, claiming she needed to go to work, and she wasn't sure if the letter she had sent to her father reached him. She didn't even know if it was the correct address.

If he could offer her one more thing before they departed, Itaru wanted to show her what it would have been like to have a sort-of happy family.

His heart felt heavy and he couldn't smile for the camera anymore. His parents deemed that it was a sign that they should go home.

They drove away from the venue in silence, Itaru staring out the window while his sister scrolled through all the photos they took, his parents speaking to each other as they drove their way home.

His family understood why he was like this, having met Izumi plenty of times to find themselves fond of her too. He'd talk about Izumi at the dinner table if he had an interesting enough story, replacing Tonooka with the sound of her name falling from his lips instead of his.

They understood that Itaru had grown to like Izumi more as a friend as the days passed, but they didn't want to involve themselves when it came to her family problems.

They cared for her, of course, but they didn't want her mother to lash at them if they ever did something 'wrong' in the eyes of Mrs. Tachibana.

Itaru dropped his cap on the seat between him and his sister and dragged his hand through his hair to distract himself from the empty feeling in his chest.

"Oh. Do you think that's Izumi walking down the street?" Itaru's sister commented as she ducked her head to see through the windshield.

The question made Itaru's heart stutter and he begged for his father to stop the car so that he could greet her, but his dad refused.

"I can't." He said, apologetic. "There's a bunch of cars behind us."

And at that point, Itaru was already rolling down his window, heart racing in his chest as the wind blew at his trimmed fringe and his blocky glasses.

His heart was in his throat now as he recognized Izumi's back, still clad in their graduation gown with her cap in her hand.

She wore jeans and her sneakers to the ceremony, unable to find clothes that were cheap enough for a high school student.

It was an odd sight to behold as she was the only one in casual clothes, and there were whispers among his grad class as well as in the audience when she received her diploma with a charming smile.

Izumi told him, a few days before today, that her mother's dresses didn't fit her body when he had asked what she was going to wear.

It was a good call on her part, at least. She didn't have to walk home in heels.

But that's not what mattered. She was walking slowly, but the car was going too fast and all Itaru could do was shove his upper body out the window while calling out Izumi's name, his arm desperately reaching out to her before they passed.

His breath left his lungs then, and it felt like the world was moving in slow motion when he saw her lift her gaze from the sidewalk to see who was calling.

And she smiled, her eyes meeting Itaru's for the briefest of moments as she waved him goodbye.

Her expression told him that she was accepting their end, and Itaru was barely able to utter his farewells as the car drove further and further away.

* * *

It had been, what, six years since they last saw each other?

Not that Itaru cared anymore. Izumi was but a good memory from high school, and there was nothing else he could do to find her anymore.

He had studied his ass off in university, locking himself in his own room to finish his homework and then work on studying for the next quiz, test, exam. He didn't have time to go look for someone who probably had no interest in him anymore.

So he gave himself time to play his videogames of course, rather than conduct a search. His family wasn't really happy about that part, but as long as he finished university with a degree and managed to get a high-paying job, they would let Itaru continue with his obsessive hobby.

Eventually his hard work paid off, and Itaru finally had enough money to move out of his parent's house and find a new home.

Well. He didn't find a new place yet.

Hence the reason why he was currently at Veludo Station, staring at the bulletin board that had different offers for housing.

He had come here after a long day at work, his tired eyes searching for an appealing enough apartment or roommate. His briefcase felt heavy in his hand and he could feel his shoulders slouching as he continued to stare, unsatisfied with each offer that he read.

He almost didn't bother to take a step to the side when someone else came up to the bulletin board, his body exhausted with how hard he had worked today. His side step was heavy as he had at least some respective for the people around him, but didn't bother to respond when the person quietly thanked him.

It was a woman who showed their gratitude, soft-spoken and timid. She was a bit shorter than him, her head at the same height as his jaw probably.

Itaru wasn't even going to bother looking her way until he saw how she took a photo of each flyer on the board, the sound of her camera clicking awfully loud as it rang in Itaru's eyes.

He clenched his jaw once, twice.

Then she took another photo while Itaru was struggling to read a sentence and he had to take a deep breath to calm his boiling blood.

He turned his head in the direction of the woman who seemed to be completely unaware of how annoying she was being, and as he opened his mouth to plead with her and ask her to kindly put her phone away, the words died in his throat.

"U-Uh..." His breath came out in a pathetic wheeze, seeing who it was right beside him.

That all too familiar, side-swept hair was one hint. The pigeon-toed feet was another. Those round, black rimmed glasses and that thoughtful frown she wore was just a few more.

It felt like it was graduation day all over again; when the world came to a slow and all of the breath in his lungs had escaped him.

Itaru found that he couldn't speak.

The woman felt a pair of eyes on her and had to turn to see who it was, phone dangling from her hand in a haphazard way that would have anyone sweating. Her brown, sparkling eyes caught onto Itaru and she pursed her lips to one side, wondering why he was staring.

"May I help you?" She asked curiously.

The smile she gave him was kind, and she pocketed her phone to give Itaru all of her attention.

It wasn't until he ran a hand through his hair when she realised who was standing in front of her. Her smile dropped to show her confusion and disbelief, and she visibly flinched when Itaru reached out to greet her with a handshake.

"Um. Hi." She said with cinched eyebrows, smiling awkwardly as she took hold of Itaru's hand to take it.

Her palm was warm in his grip as they gave each other a firm shake, and they took a step to the side of the bulletin board so that they avoided blocking it from the others who had wanted to check out the listings.

"Izumi." He sighed, relieved.

Relieved to see that she was okay.

"Yeah..." She nodded, smiling crookedly as she released Itaru's hand when he didn't let go. Izumi tried to be discreet when she wiped her hand on her pants to dry it (Itaru was sweating), but of course, the man saw it, and she flushed while trying to defend the man from himself.

"I-It's okay...don't be embarrassed." Izumi panicked, seeing how Itaru quickly wiped his own hand on his pant with a panicked laugh.

"You—uh, you look different." She gestured wildly, waving her hand at Itaru who only smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. He shrugged his shoulders in a sheepish way and sucked in a breath to calm his nerves, still in disbelief that he'd run into Izumi here of all places.

"Thanks... I think." He laughed. 

"It's a good thing, I promise." She chuckled and pushed her glasses back up her nose with a bashful smile.

Izumi noticed that he had grown taller over the years, and that he even dyed his hair a convincingly natural blond. He ditched his glasses for contacts too, but all the while kept that lazy air around him.

She was glad to know he took care of himself while they were apart.

...She realised that she hadn't changed so much over the years.

Maybe it was a good time to run.

Izumi threw her thumb behind her shoulder and smiled.

"I've got to g—"

"I've missed you."

Itaru breathed before Izumi could finish her excuse to leave.

"You were gone before I knew it." He said softly, taking Izumi's wrist in his hand to pull her forward until they were in each other's space.

"Why didn't you give me the chance to say goodbye?"

He was close. Too close. People were probably staring at them when he bent down to her level, and she flushed a faint pink when he stared at her with a sharp gaze as he whispered.

She couldn't bring herself to lie after all the years that had passed them by and she pressed her lips into a thin line at that fact. Her wrist was trapped in his grip, so she had no chance of escaping him unless she wanted to use physical force.

Izumi was helpless in the presence of Itaru and she no longer tried to pull herself away from him.

"I didn't want to hear you say it. If I did, I don't think I would have been able to keep it together." She laughed quietly, smiling in a way that made Itaru's heart twist.

Izumi tucked a piece of hair behind her ear while avoiding his gaze and sucked her lip into her mouth, staring hard at the tie that wrapped around his neck to focus her attention elsewhere.

"You had your issues and I had mine. If anything, I think parting ways was the best choice for us to make." She murmured, flitting her gaze up to Itaru who was staring back at her.

"But didn't it hurt?" He asked, eyes sad. Izumi looked as if she no longer felt the pain of the past, and it made Itaru envious. It looked like she had gotten over it far more quicker than he had, and Itaru wished he could do the same.

Seeing her again brought back everything he thought he had buried.

Izumi floundered at the question, visibly taken aback by the prying question and laughed; more incredulous this time around.

"Yeah? I—what? Is that even a question?" She smiled, gently tearing her wrist away from Itaru's grip.

"I was a mess for years. I mean—I still am, but, that's not the point." She waved her hands oddly to distract herself from the embarrassment that was heating her face, and she took a small step away from the man in front of her.

"Itaru. You meant a lot to me. I was so torn. I didn't know how else to cope when I didn't have you around anymore. It was like I—I was suffocating. Suffocating in the loneliness and drowning in the darkness.

But I had to learn how to overcome it all by myself. I had no one else to rely on, and so I had to become the person I didn't have. Of course, it hurt, Itaru. But if I don't learn how to heal on my own, what good can I do for anybody else?"

Izumi was breathless after her tangent, her face warm with all of the stress and sadness she had expressed to Itaru as she rambled about what she did when he was gone.

"It hurt so much when, in my moments of weakness, I'd still call you even after you changed numbers. When I couldn't visit your house because you were no longer there. When I'd still see Tonooka hanging around, telling me that you weren't going to return."

Izumi placed a hand on her forehead to cool herself down before her voice could break, and she closed her eyes as she drank in a deep breath.

"It hurt, Itaru. But I knew you didn't want to stay any longer, and I told myself that it was okay."

With her voice dwindling down to a whisper, Itaru sucked in a sharp breath and reached out to cradle Izumi into his chest before he could see her tears begin to fall.

"I am so sorry." He whispered, his trembling lips tickling the outside of her ear as Izumi sobbed into his shoulder, the moisture from her eyes staining his suit jacket. 

The scent that stuck to her was still the same; freshly cooked rice with a hint of that cherry blossom perfume her boss back in high school used to gift her every Christmas.

It made Itaru cry out with relief as he held her tighter to his chest, finally convinced that all of this was real as she punched at his chest and his stomach to punish him for all of the pain he has caused her.

"I missed you so much." Itaru whispered softly as he smoothed his fingers through her hair like he used to back in the day, grunting out of slight annoyance when Izumi gave him a harder punch to the stomach.

"You're such an asshole." She cried into his shoulder, slapping at his sides. "I hate you. So much."

Itaru almost wanted to cry himself. Not because of the overwhelming emotions he felt, but because of how intent Izumi seemed to be on physically hurting him.

"My best friend~ don't be like that—ugh. Please." He coughed over her shoulder when she threw her knee up into his stomach, tears still running down her face as he held onto her for dear life.

He guessed that something that was once lost, always has the chance to be found again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! to anyone reading this, did you want a romantic third and final chapter or a platonic third and final chapter?


	3. Living Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, they were roommates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINAL CHAPTER BABY!!
> 
> also i didn't edit this at all lol so what u see is what u get

Another long day at work had Itaru leaning against the outside of his apartment with a sigh, his forehead banging against the door while the briefcase he brought along with him hung at the end of his fingertips.

His shoulders felt heavy with exhaustion while he punched the numbers into the keypad of his door and shoved the heavy wood open when it beeped.

"I'm home." He said to no one in particular. Toeing off his shoes, Itaru glided into his indoor slippers with a yawn and trudged into the empty apartment, gently throwing his briefcase atop the granite countertop ahead of him while his other hand pulled at his tie.

Tossing his suit jacket next, Itaru undid a few of his buttons to his dress shirt and wrinkled his nose, shuffling around in his slippers as he adjusted the brightness of the lights to the living room and kitchen.

His home was cold, save for the very little warmth that was still in the kitchen. A friend of his must have come over to help themselves to his fridge; not that he minded, but it would have been nice if they left him something to eat as well.

He pouted at the thought and scratched his stomach through his shirt, brushing his fingers along the countertop as he walked around to see if there was a plate of dinner waiting for him. And much to his delight, there was.

Meat. Soup. Rice.

Itaru felt like he could cry.

He wondered who it could have been.

Tasuku? Tsumugi?

...Probably not. Neither of them were able to cook food like this.

Itaru decided not to dwell on the question of who broke into his house this week and grabbed a spoon and a pair of chopsticks from the drawer beside him, setting them down by the bowl so that he'd be able to roll his sleeves to the elbow.

The clatter of his utensils clicked in his hands when he picked them up again, and he bent over the counter as he began to eat like an ill-mannered hooligan.

There was soup dripping down his chin and the corners of his lips and he had to breathe through his mouth as he shoved countless portions of meat and rice into his mouth to stave away the hunger that left his stomach feeling empty.

With hooded eyes and a runny nose, Itaru ate his dinner like it was the last meal he was ever going to eat and he sniffed as the sour brine of the soup invaded his mouth. He nearly moaned in appreciation for such an indulgent dish.

He was about to have his last spoonfuls of soup when the sound of someone punching in the code to his apartment filled his ears, and he quietly lifted his head to see who it was.

There was a soft, exhausted sigh and the rattle of unnecessary keys that told Itaru who it was, and he quickly wiped his face with the back of his wrist to clean up his appearance (if only a little).

"I'm home." They sang, voice gentle. The person threw their keys into the bowl beside the door and dropped their bag in front of the closet while they shed the jacket from their shoulders, feet carrying them into the space Itaru was standing in.

"Hey." Itaru greeted. He lifted his arm for the person to enter his proximity and smiled as they gave him a lazy side hug to return his greeting. "Welcome home."

They smiled like he did, lifting their head to look up at him as his arm went to curl around their shoulders.

"Thanks, Itaru. Sorry I didn't get home first to greet you."

Their apology was genuine, but the man shook his head.

"It's okay, Izu. You've been working a lot lately." He murmured, and placed a comforting kiss to the cheek of woman who had come home to his apartment for the night, his hand squeezing her shoulder. "How's the house hunt going?" He asked, letting Izumi extricate herself from his side so that he could continue eating.

Lightly tossing her phone on the counter, Izumi ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She took a handful of tangled strands in her fingers and tugged in frustration, shaking her head.

"Not good. Too expensive for one person planning on living alone."

Izumi had been planning on moving in to her own apartment for months now, but was either unable to meet the requirements or just didn't have enough money to afford the down payment.

It was the reason why she was staying over at Itaru's for a while, and she felt sorry that she was still stuck in his hair.

"Hopefully tomorrow will be a luckier day." Izumi frowned and dropped her hand to her side, scratching at her hip.

"I'm gonna go change and then set up my futon in a bit." She quickly regained her smile before Itaru could comment on her frustrated expression and pointed in the direction of Itaru's room with her thumb. "Don't go in 'til I'm done."

Itaru nodded, soft eyes silently beckoning her over before she could leave.

"'Kay. Have the rest of my dinner first." He pushed his bowls towards Izumi and turned around after she took the utensils from his hands. Itaru shuffled towards the sink and turned on the tap, proceeding to lean over the counter to clean his face of any residue that managed to stick to his skin.

He was thorough in his cleansing, drenching his face in cold water to keep him alert for the rest of the night.

Izumi came beside him to put the dishes in the sink while he dried his skin with a few paper towels and leaned up to give his cheek an early goodnight kiss, her lips curling up as her mouth threatened to yawn.

"Thank Citron for the meal." She murmured tiredly and stepped away from Itaru after he had given her head an affectionate pat.

"Okay. Didn't even know he was the one who cooked it." He chuckled and tossed his paper towel into the trash bin as Izumi headed into his room to change into her pajamas.

"He really likes putting tamarind base in his soup." She yawned, slippers sliding across the floor as she walked. "Plus, he left a jasmine flower in the rice."

Ah— _eh?_ Itaru snapped his gaze back towards the bowl that was in the sink and locked eyes with the flower Izumi had mentioned.

_Huh_. Itaru mused as he heard the door to his bedroom fall shut.

_Smart cookie_.

* * *

Ugh. What time was it?

Itaru didn't even know. He just needed to get a glass of water and then go back to his room because _man_ , is he parched.

He didn't even bother to turn on any of the lights as he ventured out into the lounge room, but still squinted at the dim brightness of Izumi's night light beside his toaster.

With eyes squinted until Itaru could barely see anymore, he pried open the fridge with a silent yawn, his fingers reaching out to grab a water bottle from the door.

He then closed the fridge and turned away from the night light, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room while he twisted the cap to his drink and chugged down a good half of the bottle.

His body blocked the light from reaching Izumi and she roused from her sleep as she heard someone hiss. Rolling onto her back, Izumi stretched her arm out with a strained mewl as her other hand searched for her phone to check the time, her eyes barely catching a glimpse of Itaru slouching over his counter.

"Mmh... _Itaru_. It's four in the morning..." She complained, her eyes barely able to take the brightness on her phone. Izumi grunted, annoyed and dropped the device beside her head on the futon.

Itaru yawned in response and slipped a hand under his shirt to scratch at his belly while he rounded the countertop with heavy footsteps, his feet guiding him towards Izumi. "Was thirsty."

" _Dude_." She groaned when he dropped his sealed water bottle above her head and lazily slipped inside her futon that was, luckily, large enough for two. "Go back to bed."

Her order was briefly ignored as Itaru made himself comfortable beside Izumi, his eyes already closed with sleep. His head landed on her outstretched arm and she sighed.

Izumi had to sigh again once both of his legs trapped one of her own.

"Not mine." She griped, weakly. " _Yours_."

"But i'sso warm." He groaned back, huddling closer towards Izumi's body to get rid of the chills his water bottle had given him. The extra blanket Izumi had under her futon worked wonders on his body temperature, and the man couldn't bring himself to get out even as she wriggled her arm beneath his head to annoy him.

"I have to wake up early in the morning..." Izumi mumbled pathetically, but Itaru was adamant on sticking with her, his partially annoyed grunt puffing against her neck when he put her nose to her cheek.

"Don' go to that house appoin'men' thing." He rumbled into her jaw, causing Izumi to frown and swat at his chest with a lazy hand as he curled himself closer against her. "Stay with me."

And with an annoying purr, Itaru pressed his face into Izumi's neck while she squirmed uncomfortably in his grip, body still too weak from sleep to get away from him.

"'Taru..." She slurred, still so exhausted. "Let _go_..." She whined.

She thrashed once more but was stilled by Itaru's tightening grip and the unusual whimper that left his mouth. "Don't leave me... _please_."

And with that weak, gentle plead came a soft and desolate sigh from Itaru. He refused to budge any further, his neck trapping Izumi's arm that was growing numb while he kept her waist trapped in his hold.

Izumi sighed weakly, still half asleep and bleary eyed. She could barely open her eyes as she tipped her head in Itaru's direction and blindly pressed her mouth to his forehead, his fringe tickling her lips.

"...I'll stay. Be calm." She croaked softly, lifting her other arm to cup his jaw and stroke the skin there with her thumb.

Finally, he sighed, his body relaxing against Izumi as she hummed a song that he used to play for her on his phone back in their high school days.

The nostalgic song left Itaru purring happily in his half awake state, and he slipped a wandering hand beneath her sleep shirt while the other came up to curl around her shoulders, lazily dragging her around the futon until they were eye-to-eye.

"Thank you." He murmured quietly, magenta eyes sparkling in the dark as Izumi squirmed at the feeling. He let her arm go by lifting his head so that she could bring the blood flow back to it, and he smiled as the hand on her shoulder slid up to cradle the back of her neck.

"I love you." Itaru whispered into the cold air of his living room, shifting closer towards Izumi until their noses were touching. "Did you know that?"

And suddenly his gaze was sharp as he waited for Izumi's answer, fingers tickling each ridge of her spine while she rolled her eyes.

"Of course. We're friends." She laughed. It was a tired laugh, one that couldn't keep the smile on her face as her eyelids fell shut once more while his nails dragged along the smooth expanse of her back. "And you tell me at least once every day."

Izumi sighed, clicking her tongue at the wandering hands on her body that just wouldn't stop moving.

Itaru had become so clingy once they'd reconciled.

She wasn't sure if this was a change that happened once they met each other again, or Itaru had just learned how to show his friends he loved them.

As always, he was kind of difficult to read.

Unimpressed with Izumi's answer, Itaru tangled his fingers in her hair at the nape of her neck while his other hand pinched at her side, his own tongue clicking at her.

" _What_." Izumi groaned, resisting the urge to press her fists into his chest. He was being even more annoying than usual, and had she not cared for the wellbeing of Itaru, she would have kicked him between the legs already.

The man holding her was unfazed by her agitated hiss and stared at her with slanted eyes, his lips parted as he pondered on what to say next.

"I...don't love you that way." He confessed.

Izumi's rolled her eyes behind her lids, ignoring the way the fingers in her hair slid down to her jaw. "Then just _what_ other way is there to love m—"

And with the tender press of his lips on hers, the angry bite to Izumi's voice died down into a confused whimper.

It was but a brief kiss that only lasted a second or two. Just a simple touch of lips.

And she was still breathless.

Itaru's eyes shone brightly in the darkness of the room when her temper boiled down to a simmer, and he bumped their noses together while his mouth curled into a lazy, charming little smile.

"Like this." He whispered, tipping Izumi's chin forward to give her lips another kiss.

"This is what I meant when I said I love you."

They stayed like this, beneath the covers of the futon for a while. Izumi was still processing the shock while Itaru was patiently waiting for her answer once again, and when Izumi had finally collected her wits, she made a half-assed joke.

"But as a friend, right?" She laughed softly, poking at Itaru's chest while he smiled at her.

"As your _best friend_." He responded, lightly stroking her jaw with the tips of his fingers. "As your _lover_." He continued, eyes narrowing into tired slits as he leaned forward until their lips were brushing. Itaru glanced at her dilating pupils before looking back at her mouth with a warm laugh, the hand on her back smoothing down the arch of her spine. "And as your _husband_."

"You understand where I'm getting at, right?"

And Izumi sighed. Sighed with as much exasperation as she could because, _fuck_. She loved him too and she _hated_ the fact that he said it first. What is wrong with that man?

"You are _the worst_." She hissed, grabbing Itaru's face so that she could meld their lips together in a biting kiss that made the man laugh and wince at the same time. "I love you so much."

"Mmh— _Izumi_ , **ow**. Stop biting." Itaru groaned as his lip throbbed with the pain that came with Izumi's devious canine and slapped her hip to get her to stop (but to no avail). "Fu— _ow_."

Izumi slapped him back.

"That's what you get for playing around."

"Oh my god."

* * *

There was steam filling the kitchen when Itaru left the bedroom clad in his suit. He fitted two fingers between his tie and neck to make sure it was at a comfortable position and sighed as he walked down the hallway with his briefcase in his grip.

His hair was a lovely mess as always, but he still had to resist the habit of running his hand through it. Izumi had helped him style the locks earlier this morning while he was still buttoning his shirt, and he knew she'd throw a punch at him if she saw a single strand out of place.

"Good morni—" Itaru stopped in his tracks.

Citron was at the stove while Izumi and Tsumugi were flipping through a magazine together at the counter, their giggles drowned out by the sizzling of whatever Citron was cooking.

"Morning, Itaru!" The Zahran greeted cheerfully, much to the dismay of the office worker.

"Where's that brute Tasuku?" Itaru frowned, walking over to where Izumi sat to plant a kiss at the top of her head.

"Still jogging." Tsumugi answered through a mouthful of bread, looking innocent as he deliberately placed his hand atop Izumi's to annoy Itaru.

The man playfully bared his teeth at Tsumugi while Izumi turned around in her seat to greet Itaru with a hug, her chin planted atop his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Good mornin'." She cooed affectionately, smiling when Itaru placed his briefcase on the counter to cup her cheeks in his hand and kiss her forehead.

"Morning." He sighed.

"Ugh. Please stop that." Another voice joined the commotion as Citron began plating Itaru's lunch into a neat bento box Izumi had bought him a few weeks ago. It was a limited edition bento box from Itaru's current game fixation, but quite subtle so that his coworkers wouldn't know.

The iconic emblem from the game was on the bottom of the bento while the rest of the box was a sleek black with silver decals.

"Congratulations on the promise rings and all, but," Tasuku gave Itaru a nonchalant once over with his sharp eyes and crinkled his nose. "Izumi _can_ do better."

"Wow, being bullied in my own house." Itaru scoffed. "Who said you could just waltz in here?"

"Izumi." Tasuku shrugged, catching the piece of toast that the woman threw at him. He took a bite out of the plain bread and nodded at Citron who waved and ruffled Tsumugi's hair who tossed him an apple.

" _Dude_." Itaru griped, squishing Izumi's cheeks. She smiled at him and shrugged, consoling her boyfriend with a loving pat to his chest.

"You didn't start hating him until you gave me the promise ring. Which was like, a few days ago." She laughed, framing his face in her own hands when Itaru pressed their noses together and began muttering empty threats towards her.

"He said the promise ring was stupid!" Itaru complained loudly and pointed an accusing finger at Tasuku who was already halfway through his apple.

"Because it is." Tasuku chuckled through a mouthful of food.

"How about you propose to her instead of promising that you will? You've been dating for like, what. Two years? Known each other for ten?" Tasuku rolled his eyes. "Hurry up, will you?"

Itaru threw his hands up in the air. "Oh my _go_ — _see?_ Izumi! Do you _see_ the injustice that's happening here?"

"Your lunch is ready, sweet Itaru." Citron called out warmly while Tsumugi pulled Izumi away from her boyfriend to wrap his own arms around her shoulders from behind.

"Stop getting so riled up before work." She laughed and beckoned Itaru over before he could grab his things and leave. The woman shifted around with Tsumugi as she fished something out of her pocket, and grabbed Itaru's left hand when he obeyed.

"You almost forgot your ring." Izumi smiled sweetly as she slipped on a thin, black titanium ring onto his ring finger.

Itaru had checked the time while she did this, realizing that he'd be late if he didn't leave now and quickly placed a kiss on her forehead while Tasuku and Citron also peeked over to see the ring Izumi had given him.

Itaru didn't know why they were gathering around behind Izumi and he gave all of the men a dry, but light hearted smile.

"Look at you and your little harem, huh." He teased his girlfriend with a poke of his tongue and leaned down one more time to give her a farewell kiss on the lips. "I'll try to get home on time."

Izumi nodded and wiggled her fingers at him, and everyone watched as Itaru bolted out the door with his lunch and briefcase.

Once the door shut, Izumi spared everyone else a glance and smiled cheekily.

"You think he'll notice?" She asked curiously. Tsumugi shrugged and Citron responded with a pondering hum while Tasuku rolled his eyes and threw his apple core in the compost bin.

"If he doesn't, then you're taking that ring ba—"

There was a sudden rattling at the door and the panicked punching of numbers as someone cursed.

"Zero-three-two-zero— _fuck!_ " They could hear Itaru shout at the door. His finger pressed the wrong number as he was in a hurry to punch in the password.

"Zero-thre— _shit!_ Zero— _goddammit!_ " He shouted over his heavy breathing and shook the doorknob with a panicked noise.

"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!" Itaru screeched just as Citron ran towards the entrance to let the owner of the house in.

His breaths came out in heavy puffs as he scrambled his way back towards Izumi and reached for her, his hands grabbing her face as he pulled her into a hurried kiss.

All Izumi could do was laugh against his mouth as he angrily bit at her lip, over and over, forcing Tsumugi to pull away from her so that they could have their moment.

"Engagement—ring— _fuck_." Itaru spoke between kisses, his palms digging firmly into her cheeks as Izumi smoothed her hands down his chest to calm his racing heart.

"That's the one you showed me, right?" She whispered as Itaru continued to broaden the area where his mouth kissed, gentle lips pressing all over her face as the cool titanium dug into her skin.

"Yeah, a year ago." He scoffed, incredulous. "I can't believe you want me to be your wifey." Itaru groaned, much to the amusement of everyone in the room.

"I was waiting for the right opportunity to ask, but we thought it would be more fun if I caught you off guard instead." Izumi explained, grabbing the magazine she was viewing with Tsumugi from the counter to smack it against the back of Itaru's head.

"We didn't expect you to react this quickly though. You're going to be late for work." Tasuku commented, crossing his arms over his chest while Tsumugi and Citron twitched at the way Itaru was already shedding his suit jacket.

" _Fuck that_." Itaru hissed, staring hard at Izumi's flustered face as she tried to keep him from taking his suit vest off next. "We're gonna have sex _right now_."

Tasuku darted out and caught Itaru by the neck with his arm, dragging the man towards the door " _No fucking way_."

"FUCK, you're an asshole!" Itaru howled dramatically while Izumi and Tsumugi giggled; still in a daze, as Citron pretended that nothing happened and went to start cleaning the dishes.

"Hubby! I'll be home as soon as I finish!" Itaru called out from the apartment hallway, still getting dragged away by Tasuku.

"That's some wife you got there, huh?" Tsumugi wrapped his arm around Izumi again and laughed with her as she lifted her left hand up in the air, admiring the twinkle of her own engagement ring, matching Itaru's in colour, but just a bit thinner.

"Well. I love him." She smiled, and returned Tsumugi's hug.

Citron joined their little cuddle session too and kissed the top of Izumi's head, and when Tasuku returned after kicking Itaru out, he entered the group hug as well.

He ruffled her hair as she laughed at all of the men who were squeezing her to death, and Izumi couldn't help but feel the tears well in her eyes as they quietly congratulated her.

It was like she finally found the place where she belonged.

And when Itaru finally came home, late into the evening and saw Izumi watching TV from the couch, he dropped everything in his hands and ran to her with a trembling grin and an affectionate call of her name.

It's been more than a decade, and they were no longer that sad, little pair back in high school.

They were a happy, engaged pair now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked it! see? i can write happy endings! ^^


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